Minimalism

Since retiring, I've found it liberating to reduce my material possessions (including a house:); it helps simplify my life. To be clear, I still own a lot of stuff, including a truck, Airstream, and stuff in two storage units but much less than previously. Living in the Airstream helps to minimize collecting possessions because the first thing I think of when tempted to buy something is - where will I put it? Buying a seasonal home or two would significantly increase my living space; thats why I'm only considering small (less than 1500sf) places. The Park Models that many people live in or rent for the winter are great for this; they are about 1000 SF and have everything one needs to live (bath, bed, kitchen) without having too much space; kinda like living in a stationary RV.

I'm not minimizing my possessions for any particular reason other than most of them no longer seem necessary and the less I have, the simpler my life seems to be. Also, there is something to be said for just taking up less space on the planet and using less energy, etc. This wasn't my original intention and still isn't; to be clear, I'm living a lifestyle to make me happy, not to "save the planet."

Surprisingly, I don't miss (well maybe a little:) the stuff in my storage units; in fact. When starting this journey, I thought I'd need to keep the storage units for a year (March 2015) until I settled somewhere; now I'm thinking that I either won't be settled by then or if I am, any place I settle won't be large enough for my stuff. Maybe my daughter will buy a house by then and I can give it all to her:)